HR0486

LRB095 12367 KXB 37230 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 

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    WHEREAS, The U.S.S Cavalier is named for a county in the 
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State of North
Dakota; she was built under the contract of the

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Maritime Commission  by the Western Pipe and Steel Company of 
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San Francisco,
California; assigned the name "Cavalier"
on 
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October 5, 1942, she was launched on March 15, 1943 under the 
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sponsorship of
Mrs. Monroe W. Jackson  and delivered
to the U.S. 
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Navy on July 19, 1943; she was fitted out as an attack 
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transport by
the Bethlehem Steel Company of Hoboken,
New Jersey 
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and placed in commission on  January 15, 1944 under the command 
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of
Captain Raymond T. McElligott, United
States Coast-Guard; 
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and

 

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    WHEREAS, The U.S.S. Cavalier (APA-37) was a U.S. Coast 
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Guard manned attack
transport which had landing barges aboard 
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for landing troops and supplies; the
U.S.S.
Cavalier had a crew 
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of about 550 men and could accommodate 1200 troops; and

 

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    WHEREAS, The Cavalier participated in five invasions in the 
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South Pacific
during
World War II including Saipan and Tinian 
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in the Marianas Islands; Leyte,
Lingayan Gulf,
and Subic Bay, 
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all on the island of Luzon in the Philippine Islands; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Following the landing at Subic Bay, the Cavalier 
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was torpedoed on
January
30, 1945; the ship was disabled and 
 


 






HR0486
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LRB095 12367 KXB 37230 r




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had to be towed back to Pearl Harbor, a
distance of

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approximately 5,400 miles; and

 

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    WHEREAS, During the tour of duty, the Cavalier traveled 
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over 58,000 miles
from the
time it was commissioned in 1943; 
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and

 

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    WHEREAS, Since 1989, the crew of the U.S.S. Cavalier has 
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held a reunion in
honor of
the great ship; this year the crew 
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will celebrate its 19th reunion at the
Arlington Heights 
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Doubletree Inn Performing Arts Center from September 5-9, 2007; 
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activities will include a banquet at
the hotel,
an afternoon at 
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Arlington Racetrack, and a performance at the Metropolis;

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therefore, be it

 

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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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honor the service and sacrifice of the members of the U.S.S. 
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Cavalier as they celebrate their 19th reunion; and be it 
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further

 

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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the crew
members of
the U.S.S. Cavalier as an 
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expression of our esteem.